Sectional tire.



' H; o. VGRAVEN,

SECTIONAL TIRE Awrnroyrrou FILED 1rov.11, 1905.

Patented 0015.211908.

3 SHEETBFB'H'EET 1.

@Nh bn UIA/k H.v O. CRAVN.

,SBCTIONAL TIRE. v ILPPLIUATION T1msn nov, 1, 1905. 902 ,212, Patented4Oct-'27, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. 0. CRAVE.

' SBGTIONAL TIRE.

ArrLroA'rIoN FILED nov.11. 1905.

Patented oeuf/,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

HORACE O. C RAVEN, OF SCHNECTADY, NEW YORK.

SECTIONAL TIRE Specification of Letters Patent. Application ala November11, l1905. serial No. 286,794.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

T o alti/.17mm it may concern.' i

Be 1t knownjthat I, HORACE O. CnAv'EN, of Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, State of N ew York, have invented a new and use .sectionsa, b, c, etc., Fig. 1.

ful Improvement in Sectional Tires, of which the-following is aspeciiicat-ion.

The invention relates to tires for vehicles and more especiallyautomobiles, and belongs to that class in which there is an outer rtireand an inner iniiatable tube.

The obj ect. of the invention is to provide a tire made in sections,each easily attachable to and detachable from the wheel and having otheradvantages hereinafter set forth.

The invention consists in the construction of the individual tiresections; in a tire formed of open tubular sections connectedy together,z in 'the devices 'for attaching the sections and the rim pieces to thewheel; in the means for preventing puncture and for guarding the jointsbetween the sections from entrance ot dust or moisture, in the placingof the elastic tire under longitudinal compression; in the constructionof' the metal supports for the sections and in the various combinationsand instrumentalitics more particularly recited in the claims.

ln the accomj'ianying drawings-Figure11 is a partial view of a wheeltelly with my imroved tire in place. The part from A to B 1s insideelevation; the part from B to C shows the built up tire inlongitudinal section on the line x of Fig. 2 with the joint guards andinflatable tube in elevation. The part i" rom 'C to l) shows alongitudinal section of all portions. Fig. 2 is an end view of one ol'the tire sections. i Fig. 3 is a vert cal section ot' the tire on theline y 'y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows in perspective one of the supports dwhich form a part oi each of the tire sections. Fig. 5showsinperspective one of the join't guards. Fig. (i shows in perspective oneoi the headed bolts for securing the tire sections on the wheel. Fig. 7shows the arrangementin plan of the protecting metal disks. Fig. Srepresents diagrammatically two tire sections (the rim piece and nutsbeing removed) and illustrates the endwise compression of the elasticmaterial of said sections when the same are secured in place.

Similar numbers and letters of reference indicate like parts.

My improved tire is composed of successive These sections are alike sothat a'description of one applies to all. Each section has a metalsupport d shaped substantially7 as shown in perspective in Fig. 4. It isdivided longitudinally into two base portions 4, 5, capable of beingsecured by a bolt 6, Figs. 2 and 3, passing through the opening in thelug T formed on said bases. At each end of the bases are upwardprojections 1 which when placed t0- gether form a convex lug 8 having asemitubular vertical recess 9 inv its outer face. Extending over lug 8are concave-convex projections 2 which unite to form a hood-likeprojection 11 at each end oi the support d and on said projections arelugs 12 which 1eceive the ends ot' two parallel rods 13 and 14.

The elastic or tread portion e of each section is preferably formed uponits metal suport d in the following manner: A number of ayers 15 ofcanvas or other strong textile material are connected at their ends torods v13 and 14. by lapping said ends around said rods, as shown in Fig.3. Between said layers on the outer portion of the tire section areinterposed disks 16 oi' metal arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 thatis, so`that the edges of the disks of one layer shall overlap the edgesof the disks of adjacent. layers. This arrangement of disks makes itimpossible for any sharp object to penetrate the tire tread withoutstriking one or more of said disks, which, therefore, prevent anypuncouter covering of rubber is injured at anypoint, the canvas actslike a lamp wick and soaks up moisture, so that it soon becomes Weak androtten. By embedding the layers of canvas wholly in the rubber andmaking them non-continuous around the wheel, if through any cause anouter layer should lbecome exposed moisture can get no further inwardthan that layer and no further circumferentially than the ends ofthbbindividual injured section, which can easily e removed and a new onesubstituted.'

The tire section is divided t ough the neck at 18, where its contiguoufaces are flat, to form, when brought toget r, a close joint. The jointat 18 comes in line with the joint between parts 4 and 5 of the supportd,

' the parts of the support then moving asunder. The curved bottom faceof the rubber portion e rests directly upon the base of the support'dand has a groove to receive the lug 7. It will be obvious, that therubber and canvas parts of the tire section become one structure withthe support d and .that each tire section a, b, c, etc. is complete initself,

and that a circular tire may be built up by fastening a suitable numberof sections to the wheel felly.; this number, depending, of course, uponthe circumferential length of said felly. This attachment I accomplishin the following manner: The wheel felly 19 has circumferential flanges3l, beneath which engage the inwardly turned flanges 32 of the loose rimpieces 33, 34. In the trough-like space between therim pieces the tiresections a, I), c, etc. are placed end to end in series. In the rimpieces are openings, each of which comes in line with the opening in thelugs 7 of support d so that the olts 6 which are headed and set up by anut passing through said openings tightly clamp the rim A pieces uponthe felly of the wheel and also cause them to impress the necks of thetire sections and so close the joint 18 of each section.

When two tire sections as a, b, are placed on the felly, as stated, endto end, the hollow Fig. 2.

outer projections 11 as well as the lugs 8 on the support d of eachsection meet, and the vertical grooves 9 in the inner projections uniteto form a tubular opening through which the bolt f Fig. 6, is inserted.The concave under s1de of the bolt head 22 then fits over the adjacentlugs 8 and its shank extends throughl the tubular opening formed bygrooves 9 and through the wheel felly and receives on its threaded end awing nut 23,

The effect of drawing the bolt f radially inward bythe nut 23 is toforce its head 22 down'on the convexity of lugs 8,

thus bringin the two contiguous tire sections closely toget er while atthe same time secur. ing them to the wheel. So that not only are thesections secured by the cross bolts 6 but also by the radial bolts f.rIhe radial bolts f secure said sections at the joints between adjacentsections, and the cross bolts 6 secure each section to the wheelindependently of every other section- This fastening not .merely opposesany force tending to pull the felly o 'Each guard consists of a centralrib 24 having on each side curved ii'angesl25, 2 6. The rib 24 liesbetween adjacent tire sections and the ilanges 25, 26 enter recessesformed 1n the contiguous end faces of the sections. The

rib projects outwardly beyond the joint as shown at 28, Fig. 1, andserves to give the tire tread a better hold on the surface in which thewheel runs. In order still further to rotect` the joint I provide sheets29 of rub er which extend downwardly from the flanges 25, 26 and entercontinuations 30 of the flange recesses.

In building up the tire, the sections a, b, c, etc.` are placedsuccessively on the wheel felly and the radial bolts f are set upsuiiiciently to hold them. The sections are then drawn radially inwardby turther setting up of the bolts f so that their elastic portionsbecome compressed by mutual contact. This is indicated in Fig. 8 wherethe amount of compression of the elastic portion of each section is thedist-ance between each of the dotted lines m, fn., and the full line o,which line o shows the joint between the sections a, l). The result isthat when the tire is complete the expansive tendency of all thesections tends to force them tightly together; and, furthermore, becauseall of the tire surface is under initial compression, any force tendingto stretch the same must iirst overcome the elastic resistance due'tocompression, before it can meet the normal elastic re sistance of therubber mass. This adds materially to the elastic life-time of therubber; the rubber being in a compressed state is also rendered harderand denser and, therefore, less likely to become worn, abraded, torn, orpunctured. After the sections are secured by bolts f the rim pieces 33,34 are applied to the felly and tire and the cross bolts 6 are insertedand secured.

Particular' attention is called to the fact that this tire is not madein sections separated from one another by partitions or the like andeach separately inflated for the purpose of localizing injury due topuncture., but is composed of a plurality of o en ended communicatingtire sections in wiiich an inflatable tube 17 is received when saidsections are in place on the Wheel. The tube is introduced into eachsection in turn as thc section is put on the wheel. Any section can beremoved from the tube by freeing its holding bolt removing its holdingbolt G, lifting it outward and then opening it at the joint 1S. Theinflatable tube is provided with the usual inilating valve arranged in ashort tube 35, which passes through an opening 36 formed in the meetingedges of base parts 4 and 5 of the su .port d, and also radially throughthe ipthe wheel.

Each of my tire sections is a separate structure and, as such, may be a;se arate article of maiuitacture and sale. So also the support d may bea separate article ot' manufacture and sale silice one support willprob` ably out-last many treads, w ich maybe renewed they become injuredor worn out'. A tire built upA ot such sections is easily repair d sinceit is necessary only to remove an iniured section and replace it with anew one. 'The need of carrying complete extra tires in the vehicle isobviated since a few spare sections will meer. all probablecontingencies of road injury or wear. The tire sections are easilydetachable by releasing the fastening bolts and without the aid ofspecial appliances; beyond the wrench.

The constructionof the tire renders it dust proof, water-prooi' andnon-puncturable.

. rlhe manner in which the tire isrheld on the wheel involving noclerfcher construction avoids all rim cutting. The inner tube beingcntireiy surrounded by rubber is protected; and not subject. to abrasionby inwardly eX- tending bolt heads or like projections. No fasteningwires are needed, and creeping ot' the tire is impossible.

l claim:

l. ln a tire section, two end supports .of metal constructed to beattached to a wheel, a layer of textile material extending between saidsupports and connected thereto andan outer sheathing el elastic materialcovering said textile material and receiving said surL ports.V p

2, ln a tire sect-lon, two end supports of lmetal constructed to beattached to a wheel and havingl longitudinal rods,` a plurality oflayers ot textile material secured at their ends to said rods and anouter sheathing of elastic material covering said textile material andreceiving said supports.

3. A tire formed oi: sections of elastic material in split tubular form,metal supports secured tothe edges thereof, means for securing thesupports of each section in lateral contact and .means ior connectingthe supports of the stv eral sections together at their ends.

a. A tire formed of sections of elastic inalierial in split tubularform, metallic supports secured to the edges thereof, means lor securingthe supports of each section in lateral cout act, means for connectingthe supports of the several sections together at their ends and moanstor securing said supports to a wheel.

5. A plurality4V of tire sections of' elastic ma torial in split tubulartor'numetallic supports secured to the edges thereof, a wheel having acircumierential rei-.css constructed to reu ceivc said supports cn d toend, and means for connecting said supports at their contiguous c ids tosaid wheel.

6. A plurality of tire sections ol elastic material in split tubularforni, metallic supports :l

a circumferential recess constructed to receive said supports end toend, means for connecting the walls of said recess and supports andmeans for connecting said supports at their contiguous ends to saldwheel.

7. A plurality of tire sections of elastic material in split tubular foorm, metal supports secured to the edges thereof and provided at theirends with recesses, means for securing said supports in lateral contact,a device'ene gaging 1n the recesses in the ends of cont1guous supportsand means for detachably securing said device to a wheel.

8 A plurality of tire sections of elastic materialin split tubular form,metallic supports i secured to the edges thereof and rovided at theirends with recesses, means or securing said supports in lateralcontact,'a Wheel folly, bolts having heads constructed to engage inrecesses of contiguous ends of said supports.

and'to pass radially through said telly, and

means for securing said bolts in said felly 9. A plurality of tiresections of elastic material in split tubular form, metallic supportssecured to the edges thereof and rovided at their ends with recesses,means or securing said supports in lateral contact, a wheel felly, boltshaving heads constructed toengage in the recesses of contiguous ends ofsaid su ports andto pass radially through said fel y ang means forclosing the joint between said en s.` 10. A lurality of tire sections ofelastic material 1n s lit tubular form, metallic supports secure( to theedges thereof and provided at their ends with recesses, means forsecuring said supports'in Ilateral contact, a wheel folly, bolts havingheads constructed to engage in recesses in contiguous lends of said suports and to pass radially through said fel y, and means embedded insaid ends for closing the joint between them.

11. A tire formed of elastic tubular sections, disposed end to end'andsecured t0- gether, and metal plates interposed between said endsl andprojecting beyond the eircumferential surface of said tire.

l2. A tire formed of elastic open tubular sections, disposed end to endand secured to- ;gether, and metal plates interposed between said endsand supported on said sections.

1-3. tire formed of elastic tubular sections, disposed end to end andsecured together, and metal plates interposed between said ends andhaving lateral curved flanges received in recesses in said ends.

14. A tire formed ot' elastic tubular sections, disposed end te end andsecured together, metal platesinterposed between said ends havinglateral curved llanges received in recessesqin said ends and liexibleeXtensions of said flanges received in extensions of said recess-e;

l5. A tiiie section of elastic, material in secured to the edgesthereof, 'a wheel having l split tubulai` form, metallic supportssecured to the edges of said section and constructed to be attached to awheel and a plurality of metal plates each embedded on all sides in thematerial of saidsection, the said plates` mutually overlapping.

16. A tire formed of elastic tubular sections, a Wheel, and means onsaid Wheel for drawing each section in a direction radially to saidWheel and thereby subjecting said tire sections, the said support beingformed intwo parts, each part being provided with means for attaching toit one end of the elastic portion of the tire and means for fasten.- ing'said parts together.

19. As a new article of manufacture and sale, a /Inetal support forsplit tubular elastic tire sections, the said support being formed intWo arts, each part being provided With means or attaching to it one endofthe elastic' ortion of the tire, means for fastening sai partstogether and means conjointly acting for securing said sup ort to aWheel.

In testimony whereofp I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

HORACE o. oai/wrm.` Witnesses i WM. H. SIEGMAN, PARK BENJAMIN, Jr.

